Who wouldn’t want to have clear, unblemished, young-looking skin? While everyone desires skin that looks brand-new, nobody likes the recovery period, pain and adverse effects that go hand-in-hand with certain procedures that promise to erase skin damage.
Finally, a breakthrough in fractional resurfacing has arrived in the Philippines. From the pioneer of non-invasive skin technology in the country, Facial Care Centre proudly introduces another first — Renew by Affirm, a revolutionary fractional laser-resurfacing treatment that reverses the effects of photodamage and aging on skin with minimal pain and downtime. Compared with other fractional devices, Renew produces the same effects on the skin but with much less discomfort and recovery time, earning it US-FDA approval for effectiveness and safety in skin rejuvenation and acne scarring.
What is renew by affirm?
A complete micro-rejuvenation treatment, Renew uses a unique combination of three cutting-edge technologies in laser skin resurfacing: Combined APEX Pulse (CAP), MultiPlex and Xenon Pulsed Light (XPL). By merging three powerful technologies, Renew by Affirm offers total skin rejuvenation that addresses all areas of photodamaged and aged skin. It utilizes its signature CAP Technology, which stands for Combined Apex Pulse, specifically designed for the 1440nm Nd: YAG laser. CAP makes use of a diffractive lens array that provides special delivery and distribution of energy to the treatment area.
CAP Technology, the fastest laser-based energy pulse, works by employing a special lens known as the CAP array, which consists of 1,000 diffractive elements per centimeter square to target more surface area in a single pulse. CAP Technology is able to redistribute laser energy into varied levels of heat intensity — both high and low fluence at the same time. While other lasers are able to deliver high fluence, which serves to remodel the collagen structure, Renew’s patented CAP array is also equipped with low-fluence distribution responsible for going beyond remodeling to actually stimulate collagen growth. This powerful combination of high- and low-level heat simultaneously remodels and stimulates collagen to help ensure that the skin heals more quickly and effectively. That means there are increased advantages for the skin, unlike the results of competitive technologies, which, by providing only one level of heat intensity, fail to optimize the collagen production now achieved by Renew.
The 1,320-nanometer Multiplex Technology reaches deep layers of collagen structures for skin laxity.
XPL Technology enhances clinical outcomes associated with the treatment of skin pigmentation and redness.
With Affirm, you will see improvements like skin rejuvenation, acne scar reduction, lightening of pigmentation, skin tightening, and reduction of photo-aging and wrinkles.
Anti-Aging Breakthrough
Renew is a complete treatment in a fraction of the time. The long treatment time to address multiple skin problems is no longer required because Renew by Affirm works 400 percent faster. It can reduce pigmentation, acne scars, wrinkles and photodamage in a quick 15-20 minute session versus a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour of Fraxel treatment. Other technologies require more than five passes to cover the equivalent treatment area.
Because of Renew’s CAP technology and the efficient delivery of energy to the treatment area, typically a maximum of two passes are needed for a full-face treatment, resulting in significantly faster sessions. Compared to Fraxel, which requires six to eight passes per session, Renew by Affirm can deliver the same efficiency with two passes over a treatment area, dramatically reducing treatment time.
Renew also requires no pretreatment anesthetic or tracking dye. With other fractional lasers, treatment necessitates the application of anesthesia on the client’s skin an hour before the procedure, so there’s waiting time for the topical anesthetic to take effect. The application of blue dye may also be needed with other fractional laser units, which may be difficult to remove after the procedure. The absence of pre-treatment dyes and anesthetics with Renew has resulted in quicker and more convenient sessions.
Less Pain, All Gain
Most practitioners believe that the higher the wavelength, the better the collagen remodeling. The problem, though, is that other machines are very painful. Renew utilizes a 1,440-nm device that is effective without producing much pain.
The benefit of the 1,440-nm Nd:YG wavelength is that it has a higher absorption for water and melanin compared to other fractional-type devices, therefore using less energy to affect the target area. Renew’s 144-nm Yd:YAG directly reaches the zone of photo-aged skin, so it treats what it’s supposed to treat: the target chromophore for treating superficial wrinkles and overall skin rejuvenation.
Unlike other fractional type devices using 1,540 nm and 1,550 nm that have a depth of penetration 2 to 2.5 times greater than Renew, they can go deeper into skin tissue, thereby affecting the zone beyond photo-aged skin but not quite deep enough to treat skin laxity. This could be unnecessary and more painful because cooking healthy tissue will destroy it before it’s eventually replaced again with healthy tissue.
With Renew, lower energy levels can now penetrate only the appropriate depth of aging skin without compromising effectiveness and safety. Due to shallower penetration, there’s less epidermal damage and also less pain associated with the treatment. This makes for minimal discomfort, while the skin’s healing process is rapidly accelerated.
Some clients may experience redness and swelling for one to two days after the Renew treatment. But compared to other competitive fractional lasers like Fraxel, Renew causes much less swelling and redness on the face, which usually disappears after 24 hours or less, compared to Fraxel’s side effects, which may last up to three days. Scabbing and peeling may even occur with Fraxel and Fraxel Re:fine after five to seven days from the time of treatment. There’s also no crusting of the skin after treatment with Renew. Fraxel and Fraxel Re:fine can also bring about improved skin color or texture and decrease unwanted pigmentation, but with the Renew’s new CAP technology, clients can now expect the combined benefits of collagen remodeling and collagen stimulation with significantly reduced discomfort and downtime.
The procedure is so tolerable that no numbing gel or anesthesia is needed prior to treatment, nor is a cooling mask required post-treatment, unlike Fraxel. Some even opt to go under sedation while having a Fraxel treatment. Renew has made a leap forward by employing the SmartCool air-cooling system, which delivers cold air before, during and after the procedure, providing more comprehensive cooling than other systems. The air stream hits the skin at exactly the place of the laser application for a safe and painless treatment.
Target Treatment Approach
Renew by Affirm provides a combination of high-level fluence surrounded by low-level fluence. High-level fluence enhances collagen remodeling, while low-level fluence stimulates collagen production. Its 1,400-nm laser has a higher absorption of water and melanin compared to other devices, meaning Renew utilizes less energy to affect the target area. So there’s also less injury on the treated area of the skin. Consequently, Renew is a safer way to deliver energy and a more comfortable way to smooth out scars and wrinkles.
Other technologies only provide high fluence, which means they can remodel collagen but fail to stimulate new collagen production. With Renew, exclusive CAP technology effectively incorporates the dual heating component (low and high energy at the same time) enabling Renew to target only the necessary zone of photo-aged skin. Therefore, the skin is subjected to less superficial damage, which necessitates a shorter healing time.
A close-up of treated skin shows the microscopic pattern of the laser. The high fluence induces remodeling of collagen, while the lower energy promotes rapid healing and stimulates collagen production.
Improvements in skin complexion, texture, pore size and pigmentation may be observed after the first treatment. As you go further with additional treatments, collagen stimulation response (remodeling and new collagen synthesis) may be expected and is typically associated with improvements in overall skin tone as well as smoothening of scars.
For 18-year-old skin, there is richer collagen, as seen in the indentation pattern of the outer skin layer and its darker (purple) color.
For 50-year-old skin, there is a decrease of the indentation pattern; lighter purple color and paleness of the red in the dermis may also be noted, which indicate weakening and loss of collagen in the outer dermis.
Renew by Affirm treatments are available at Facial Care Centres in Makati, Ortigas, Tomas Morato, Binondo, Alabang, Shaw, Congressional, Pampanga (961-3404) and Cebu (233-7631). For more information, call 892-SKIN (7546).